A CONDO OWNERS FAN SITE FOR SHAYA BOYMELGREEN Still waiting for the developer of the twin-tower condo development proposed for San Felipe near the end of Woodway to provide an update on the project? Some New Yorkers would like a word with him too. The residents of the Newswalk Condominium in Brooklyn have created a website called Shame on Shaya, documenting in Russian, Hebrew, and English the “extraordinary number of construction defects” in developer Shaya Boymelgreen’s first high-profile development, constructed in 2002: “The building is now undergoing a two-year, $7 million construction remediation project. Newswalk residents are currently in legal action against Boymelgreen with a suit seeking no less than $10 million in damages.” Spokesman Michael Rogers explains: “Many of us got to know Shaya in the early days of Newswalk, and found him friendly and likeable. He may not fully understand what the residents of Newswalk are suffering, and this campaign is a way to bring him up-to-date.†[Previously on Swamplot]
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Tag: 77063
COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW MUCH TO TURN IT TUSCAN? “It’s not even $8 million! Merely $7,999,000! I’d love to buy this place but I’m afraid I’d end up baroque.” [wilf, commenting on Deep Discount Madness Returns to Piney Point Village: Megamansion Now 60 Percent Off!]
A reader notes that the little Piney Point Village add-on project that TV executive Douglas R. Johnson and his then-wife Melanie bought in 1996 as a 6,000-sq.-ft. starter home is back on the market with a new agent, a new set of photos, and a new price that’s 60 percent lower than the original. But is that an air of desperation wafting up from the listing?
BUY NOW FOR HALF THE COST TO BUILD~ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY~ALL OFFERS CONSIDERED!
C’mon everybody, that’s more than 23,000 sq. ft. now for only . . . $8 million! What will you do with all the money you save?!!
How about hiring the domestic staff that’s gonna be hard at work dusting and polishing this:
Did that more-than-half-off sale on the Piney Point Village bayou-front estate of Doug and Melanie Johnson work any magic? The cozy 8-bedroom, 10 full- and 3 half-bath playhouse recently disappeared from the MLS, but a Swamplot reader suspects something’s up:
I don’t think it sold because I watch it and I never saw it go into sale pending. I think they gave up trying to sell.
The 21,640-sq.-ft. home at 11682 Arrowwood Circle debuted on the market as a $19 million divorce listing back in 2007. According to a Chronicle blog post last year written by Shelby Hodge, that price was set by now-bankrupt broadcast executive Doug Johnson (his company, Johnson Broadcasting, is the “debtor in possession” of local TV station KNWS). After a couple of uneventful years at the top of the listings, the home’s price was eventually cut to $9.5 million — and the commission doubled to 12 percent — after Melanie wrested the right to control the sale herself.
What does it matter that it’s out of the listings? Really, don’t you think a quirky little property like this would do better in a . . . uh, private offering?
Walmart shut down its Sam’s Club Business Center pilot program late last week — and closed the program’s only store — the Sam’s Club at Dunvale and Westheimer. The HBJ‘s Casey Wooten surveys the wreckage:
[Walmart spokesperson Susan] Koehler attributes the poor performance of the Dunvale Sam’s Club to its location. In April 2008 when the concept was unveiled, however, the company touted its proximity to major commercial centers on Houston’s west side as a reason it was selected to be the test store for the business center concept. . . .
Lance Gilliam, managing director at Moody Rambin Interests, who has worked with real estate clients in that area, says the Dunvale/Westheimer intersection is one of the busiest areas of the city, boasting heavy traffic and a dense daytime population, largely thanks to the Walmart, Sam’s Club and AMC Theatres that were built around the same time.
“It used to be considered a no man’s land, but once they located there, there were a lot of developments,†says Gilliam.
Now, development in the area may make it difficult for Wal-Mart to find a use for the building, says Gilliam.
- Dunvale store demise slams door on Sam’s Club concept [Houston Business Journal]
- Sam’s Club mum on local layoffs [Houston Business Journal]
Photo: Walmart
Here we go with our new faster format Neighborhood Guessing Game results post: The winner of this week’s prize — free enrollment in the “Houston’s History Told Through Its Architecture” course at the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University — is katie. Congratulations — and many thanks to the Glasscock School for sponsoring the prize!
This week’s guesses were full of brilliant and entertaining observations. And we give special mention to Porchman and AKane, both of whom ran interference with well-constructed fake guesses they concocted after writing in with the actual listing.
So much fun! Where is this week’s swingin’ pad?
When Borders announced back in November that it would be closing 200 Waldenbooks, Borders Outlet, and Borders Express bookstores nationwide, only 3 Houston stores were on that list: the Waldenbooks in Willowbrook Mall, Houston Center, and the Northwest Mall. Not included: the Borders Books & Music in the former Houston Jewelry building at 9633 Westheimer, at the corner of Gessner. But employees have apparently been telling customers for months that that store would be closing in January. And now a reader reports that “Store Closing” sale signs are up in the windows. The shopping center, says an employee, is being redeveloped. Last day of business: January 16th.
- Borders To Close 200 Bookstores [Consumerist]
Photo: Hennie Schaper
Just a month ago, an executive of Brooklyn’s Boymelgreen Developers was telling the Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff that the company was still committed to building those twin 28-floor condo towers at the very end of Woodway on San Felipe, next door to the old Dolce & Freddo gelato shop. Development director Sara Mirski reported that the firm planned to start construction on the Ziegler Cooper design next year, after completing a new market analysis in the spring.
The former shopping-center site, just a leap over Buffalo Bayou from Piney Point Village, was purchased by an Israeli company controlled by developer Shaya Boymelgreen 2 years ago, just days after another Boymelgreen affiliate flipped the property at the corner of Richmond and Post Oak — the site of the former Mason Jar and Steak & Ale — for a quick $24 million profit.
But those were the good ol’ days. Now Boymelgreen may have a few other things to take care of before he can get going on the San Felipe Condominiums:
More than 6 reductions over the last 2 years mean you can now snap up this 20,000-plus-sq.-ft. Piney Point megamansion for less than half its original $19.9 million asking price. The spread belongs to Douglas R. Johnson and his wife Melanie, who divorced a year and a half ago, reports the Chronicle‘s Shelby Hodge:
The house began as a 6,000 square-foot teepee sitting in the middle of a lush wooded acre on Arrowwood. We are told that the couple pumped $16 million worth of expansion and improvements into the place. Eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, three half-baths and a paneled wine room and bar dating from the 1920s are part of the package. And did we mention the vast third-floor entertainment area that features a lavish theater center, game room and bar?
According to the divorce decree, Melanie and the boys get to live in the house until it sells. The judge gave Doug the right to control that sale. He priced the property at $19 million — unheard of in the Memorial/Piney Point neighborhoods. There was little interest. Melanie went back to court recently and secured rights to control the sale herself. And how things have changed.
According to MLS records, the home went on the market in April of 2007. Its most recent price cut — just a few days ago — was a mere $3.4 million.
Until his Johnson Broadcasting Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last October, Johnson was listed as the sole owner of KNWS, local TV’s Channel 51. Johnson also filed for personal bankruptcy, but reportedly told the Chronicle at the time that it all had to do with the divorce.
How’s this home doing in the ratings? Well, the listing puts it at about 26,214 sq. ft., but the appraisal district only counts 21,240. But even that lower figure is enough to get the home onto Wikipedia’s list of the largest single family residences in the United States.
The home’s price may be down, but the commission is now up to 12 percent. And the photos sure make it look like the volume is still turned way up:
The Swamplot Price Adjuster needs your nominations! Found a property you think is poorly priced? Send an email to Swamplot, and be sure to include a link to the listing or photos. Tell us about the property, and explain why you think it deserves a price adjustment. Then tell us what you think a better price would be. Unless requested otherwise, all submissions to the Swamplot Price Adjuster will be kept anonymous.
Location: 7538 Inwood Dr., Charnwood
Details: 17,781-sq.-ft. lot
Price: $550,000
History: Sold for $503,000 in December 2007. Listed on HAR for 4 months now at the current price.
Says the reader who’s nominating this vacant homesite:
The lot is in Charnwood, a really nice subdivision, they keep things looking nice. When I bought in Charnwood (Inwood Dr), it was the lot size that appealed to us, it seems like all the lots are 15k sqft or more, which is very generous for the area (galleria/west Houston).
It is close to lots of great eating, shopping, schools too but still has a nice family feel too it. I really like it and more importantly it is way more better value than Briargrove (Charnwood has way bigger lots too) and Tanglewood (chi-ching $$$).
Also, there are quite a few new custom builds in the subdivision, that points to good strong house values for the future. . . .
This lot was “for sale by owner” for $500k for around a year . . .
So . . . what would be a better price for this chunk o’ land?
CLEANING UP AFTER THE WESTHEIMER PARK APARTMENTS “Austin-based Falcon Southwest expects the demolition to be complete by July on the 185-unit complex at 9235 Westheimer, between Fondren and Gessner. Phil Capron, president of Falcon Southwest, says the property was under contract late last year to an apartment developer who wanted to build a five-story complex on the 4.8-acre site. The developer, whom he won’t name, could not get financing because of market conditions. Falcon Southwest will plant grass on the site before relisting it because “it will show better totally clean,†Capron says. He hopes to sell the tract for $30 to $35 per square foot, which would put the price between $6.3 million and $7.4 million. Falcon Southwest also owns the next door Westheimer Terrace Apartments, which are not for sale now, but Capron says will be at some time in the future.” [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
Jerry and Wynonne Hart are scheduled to be sentenced today for “misapplication of fiduciary property” in the operation of their auction business at the Hart Galleries. In return for the couple’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of theft and money laundering.
11 News reporter Dave Fehling spoke to several former Hart Galleries customers:
The auction house thrived for years. The Harts enjoyed a sterling reputation among the rich and not so rich who all trusted the Harts to sell their valuables. But around 2003, something strange began happening . . .
. . . the Harts auctioned furniture and antiques for John Zielinski and his wife.
They were expecting to get $20,000.
“And I said, ‘where’s our money?’ And they said, ‘we’re having difficulty collecting some of the checks,’†said Zielinski.
The next thing Harts’ customers learned was that the couple was bankrupt.
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE GREAT WEST HOUSTON DIVORCéE BELT “It basically runs in between Beltway 8 and 610 and is crossed by the likes of Westheimer, Woodway, Richmond, Bissonnet et al. Basically these people met in drunken stupors along the Richmond strip in the early 80s at those cheesy night clubs; tried to make lasting marriages but eventually divorced; and then bought homes and patio homes close but not too close to their old stomping grounds. Incidentally, many of them work non-descript office jobs at middle market companies in the Westchase district and raaaaaave about the tres leches cake at the Churrasco’s out there on Westheimer. Yay Divorcee Belt!” [Bobby Hadley, commenting on Neighborhood Guessing Game: Blue Check]
How easy is it to win the Neighborhood Guessing Game? If this week’s round is any indicator: It’s a breeze. Of course, it helps if nobody else comes close.
There were 2 guesses each this week for Willowbend, Jersey Village, and Walnut Bend. Other guesses traveled as far as Wharton, Porter, and Splendora. The rest: Briargrove, “a nicer part of Spring Branch,” Clear Lake, Missouri City, Briar Forest, Tealwood, Yorkshire, Katy, “west or southwest, close to a Home Depot and elementary school,” Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Friendswood, southwest Houston, Meadows Place, Hearthstone, Alief, Mission Bend, and Westchase.
Nobody named the correct neighborhood! But not all of the guesses were wrong. Which one was right?
How about this snarky entry:
Single story, black aluminum frame windows, vaulted ceilings, and a plethora of ceiling fans indicate this is a pre-oil bust tract home. The house has had some custom woodwork installed by a weekend warrior owner, but they never got around to staining or painting it. I’m guessing west or southwest, close to a Home Depot and elementary school.
So let’s plot those coordinates: 1.4 miles to the Westheimer Home Depot. 1.1 miles to Piney Point Elementary. Close enough! Howard Hughes, you just won a one-year individual membership in the Rice Design Alliance. Congratulations!
An honorable mention goes to Pat, for getting the time frame right:
Well, 60s, not 50s. Bathrooms are more spacious. So there’s that. Then someone did some very interesting handi-crafting there in the 80s, during that “let’s do everything pink and blue†period “and while we’re at it, let’s bump out windows and then turn a boat or two upside down and make them the ceiling.â€
You want some details on this place?
Upset that you missed that 1956 Lars Bang home in Braesvalley Swamplot featured last month? An option was taken out on it the same day we featured it.
But . . . the buyers of that house have put their own Tanglewilde Modern on the market. It was built the same year. Realtor Robert Searcy says it’ll have an open house, as Houston Mod’s “mod of the month,” next week.
After the jump: That turquoise tile, and that giant whisk!
